He chose not to live at 10 Downing Street, remaining at his home in Hatfield instead. He was also the only Premier to serve as Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary simultaneously which left a gap for First Lord during his second administration.

Smith was First Lord of the Admiralty, twice Secretary of State for War, Leader of the House of Commons and later (during Salisbury's second administration) First Lord of the Treasury, among other posts.

In his clashes over War Office estimates with Lord Randolph Churchill at the Treasury‚ he was clear‚ adamant‚ and equable where Churchill was excitable and offensive. In the restructuring of the cabinet‚ following Churchill's resignation‚ Smith became First Lord of the Treasury and leader of the House of Commons in January 1887. Married to Emily Danvers Smith. See also W.H Smith (known colloquially as Smith's) a major British retailer.This is a letter addressed to the British Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Alfred Phillips Ryder (1820-1888)dated 10th January1887. (See also Ryder biography).The congratulatory reference would have been with regard to his promotion and enhanced political status. Wikipedia

known as Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt, from 1851 to 1885 British Conservative politician. He notably served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1874 and 1880 and as Foreign Secretary between 1885 and 1886. When Lord Salisbury became prime minister he took the titles of Earl of Iddesleigh and Viscount St Cyres and was included in the cabinet as First Lord of the Treasury. In Salisbury's 1886 ministry he became Foreign Secretary, but the arrangement was not a comfortable one, and his resignation had just been decided upon when on 12 January 1887 he died very suddenly at Lord Salisbury's official residence in 10 Downing Street. See alsolink

Irish and British statesman. As British Foreign Secretary, from 1812 he was central to the management of the coalition that defeated Napoleon and was the principal British diplomat at the Congress of Vienna. Castlereagh was also leader of the British House of Commons in the Liverpool government from 1812 until his death by suicide in August 1822. Early in his career, as Chief Secretary for Ireland, he was involved in putting down the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and was instrumental in securing the passage of the controversial Irish Act of Union of 1800. He had once challenged Canning to a duel, which Canning accepted. Canning had never before fired a pistol. The duel was fought on 21st September 1809. Canning missed but Castlereagh wounded his opponent in the thigh. There was much outrage that two cabinet ministers had resorted to such a method, and they both felt compelled to resign from the government. Six months later, Canning published a full account of his actions in the affair, and many who had initially rallied to him became convinced Castlereagh had been betrayed by his cabinet colleague.

Despite his contributions to the defeat of Napoleon and restoration of peace, Castlereagh became extremely unpopular at home. He was attacked for his construction of a peace that gave a free hand to reactionary governments on the Continent to suppress dissent. He was also condemned for his association with repressive measures of the Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth (the former Prime Minister Addington). As Leader of the House of Commons for the Liverpool Government, he was often called upon to defend government policy in the House. He had to support the widely reviled measures taken by Sidmouth and the others, including the infamous Six Acts, in order to remain in cabinet and continue his diplomatic work. For these reasons, Castlereagh appears with other members of Lord Liverpool's Cabinet in Shelley's poem 'The Masque of Anarchy', which was inspired by, and heavily critical of, the Peterloo massacre. See also Oliff's Life

An envelope signed RIPON three times, addressed to 'My Lord Bishop' Charles Thomas Longley, (28th July 1794 – 27th October 1868), at the Palace,Ripon, Yorkshire, Longley served as Bishop of Ripon (1836-1856), Bishop of Durham, Archbishop of York, and later as Archbishop of Canterbury

Another example for price comparison.

£1,485. NOT part of this collection

'Dear Sir, xxxx very regretfully I find myself unable to comply with your request as it would xxxx with the xxxx and xxx of a multitude of lists and xxxx which are always